Jim Tomsula

By Ron Wolfley | January 16, 2015 at 5:57 pmUPDATED: January 16, 2015 at 5:57 pm

I really like Jim Tomsula and I respect him as a man and as a coach, but if I’m a 49ers fan I’m concerned.

Tomsula was and has been the D-Line coach for the 49ers for eight years. The problem is you have a coach players knew as an assistant that is now the alpha-male in the room. That is typically a bad thing because a head coach needs to interact with players differently than position coaches or even coordinators. He needs to insulate himself to some degree from the players because he is in a position of authority.

If Tomsula suddenly tries to insulate himself after getting the head job, players may perceive him to be a phony. This is a dynamic that has been around NFL locker rooms for a long time and this makes this hire by Trent Baalke dangerous.

Nothing will derail a season quicker than players losing respect for their head coach. Tomsula needs to walk a fine line: when should he build walls and assert his authority and when should he act like he’s always acted toward the players?

That’s not an easy question to answer and I think Trent Baalke knows this. So, my question is: will Jim Tomsula be the head coach two years from now or is he keeping the seat warm for the guy Baalke really wants to hire?